Wal-Mart China CEO stepping down

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores announced Monday that the president of its China unit is stepping down. A company spokesman said the resignation was unrelated to a Chinese government food safety case against several Wal-Mart stores.



Ed Chan, CEO of Wal-Mart China, left for personal reasons, the company said. Scott Price, president of Walmart Asia, will fill the position in the interim.



The departure comes after authorities in the city of Chongqing arrested two employees, closed 13 stores for two weeks and fined the retailer 2.7 million yuan ($421,000) on charges of passing of mislabeling regular pork as higher-priced organic meat.



Clara Wong, the senior VP for personnel at Wal-Mart China, also resigned. Rose said that departure also was unrelated to the Chongqing case.



Chan oversaw Walmart China's expansion from 70 stores and 30,000 employees to 353 stores and workforce of nearly 100,000.